Biking and working

Hi ladies :) Yesterday was my first day at work. I'm still a student and this is my first 8 hours/5 days job. I'm soooooooo tired. I have a question for all you working bikers... How do you do it? ... I know many of you also have children.So where do you get the energy... And my job isn't so hard as it could be. I'm working in Nescafe call-center (perhaps some of heard about it).
The last two weeks I went biking every day with my friend, but since yesterday it's to exhausting for me. But really, how do you do it? :confused:

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Originally Posted by iFKA

Hi ladies :) Yesterday was my first day at work. I'm still a student and this is my first 8 hours/5 days job. I'm soooooooo tired. I have a question for all you working bikers... How do you do it? ... I know many of you also have children.So where do you get the energy... And my job isn't so hard as it could be. I'm working in Nescafe call-center (perhaps some of heard about it).
The last two weeks I went biking every day with my friend, but since yesterday it's to exhausting for me. But really, how do you do it? :confused:

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how far are you biking? some of us find that the exercise GIVES us energy in the long run.

and it takes a while to build your strength up.

Yeah, what Mimi said.

Admittedly I only teach three days a week, but as every teacher knows, the work doesn't end because you've left the campus. At home, I'm either prepping for upcoming classes or grading papers or making other teacher-like noises. And now that the three-month school's-out-for-the-summer party is over, it is slightly harder to find the time to ride my bike. BUT, once I'm out on the road (or trail, as the mood strikes), it really gives me an enormous boost--mentally, emotionally, and yes, physically. I don't know HOW low my energy level would be if I didn't find the time to ride.:eek:

I work a lot of hours and admittedly, there are weeks were I don't get to bike at all except on weekends. When you have to be in at 7 am and you don't get home until 8 pm, that leaves little time for much of anything...let alone biking!

The best way for me to ride during the week is to commute. I do a half-commute thing where I drive in one day, ride home that evening, ride back in the next morning, and then drive home that afternoon. That way, I always have a car at work should I need to go to off-site meetings or something. I just try to get my long rides in on the weekends (one long day, one shorter one) because that's about all I can manage right now. Once things settle a bit at work, I hope to throw in a few lunchtime rides as well.

I envy those that don't work all day and can fit longer rides into their weekday activities!

Oh, and you will eventually adjust to your new schedule and you will get your energy back! I remember making the switch from school to work and it's draining at first. But you'll be used to it in a week or two!

Yesterday I was majorly pooped out (I too am a teacher and we were starting new projects in all of my classes - poor timing) but I knew the weather was changing for the WAY worse on Thursday so wanted to get some seat time in.

My trick was to take a 15 minute power nap (I set the microwave timer), ate a handful of nuts to carry me through vs having a full supper, managed to do a 31 mile ride. Ate something light, took a shower and went to bed by 10, the dishes and laundry will still be there on Thursday when it is 40 degrees out, windy and rainy.

In a word (or a few) power naps and priorities

BTW I don't know if you adjust or just get used to being tired as a natural state of affairs

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

how far are you biking? .

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About 10-15 miles per day cause I'm biking with a friend who doesn't have many experience in biking so we were trying to ride shorter route for beginning... time is also big issue cause now I can't afford to ride more than 1 hour per day. I come home at 6 am and in 8 is already dark out side and we don't have special bike roads.

I must say... today my energy is not so low, I guess I'll get used to it somehow.

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Originally Posted by eclectic

My trick was to take a 15 minute power nap (I set the microwave timer), ate a handful of nuts to carry me through vs having a full supper, managed to do a 31 mile ride.

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I need 15 min just to get to sleep and than I could sleep until the next morning. But I like the idea for "nuts-supper"

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Originally Posted by GLC1968

I envy those that don't work all day and can fit longer rides into their weekday activities!

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I had much time to do so but at that time I always had some excuse for staying at home... You just don't know what you have until you lose it! :(

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Originally Posted by Bad JuJu

BUT, once I'm out on the road (or trail, as the mood strikes), it really gives me an enormous boost--mentally, emotionally, and yes, physically.

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We just have to wait and see about that. I Can't go out today cause I have to learn. :( ... Can't wait for next spring to start with all those experience. Good thing is that I'm still student and I'm doing this just until New Year, and after that I'll have much more time. jeah :D That's mine little consolation when I'm tired

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Originally Posted by iFKA

I need 15 min just to get to sleep and than I could sleep until the next morning. But I like the idea for "nuts-supper"

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Power naps take practice.

Just lay down and relax your body, (the mind takes longer - say a mantra or count backwards from 100 to shut the to do list or problem solving off) sometimes I only really fall asleep for 2 or 3 minutes. Get up as soon as the buzzer goes off. If a person falls into a deep sleep they are usually out for the count :)

It does't seem like much but it is enough to give a major boost of energy.

good luck and remember "this too shall pass" :)

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

how far are you biking? some of us find that the exercise GIVES us energy in the long run.

and it takes a while to build your strength up.

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I agree with Tabby on this one....I am much more energetic, vibrant, dynamic, etc when I ride to work than when I drive (like today).

As far as building up your strength, that's just how it is. When I started increasing my distances on weekends, I found the bike commute became rather easy.

It would be nice if I could drive to work but I can't cause we have dress-code so sport clothing is out of the question, and another problem is that there is no place where I could left my bike (without thinking is it there still).

I'll try 15 min relaxing, I'm sure it will fill my batteries up a little bit. Hope it will work cause I'm sure it'll be useful in the future you when I'd had to deal with my job, kids, pets, husband, hobbies...

p.s.congratulations to all the girls who succeed in combining all that - you're my heroines (is that the word for women heroes :confused: )

Making the transition from being a student to working 8 - 5 is really draining and difficult at first. I found it frustrating to be "trapped" for 9 hours day when I was used to having such a flexible schedule. It took me about a month or so to get over it, but what I did love was not having to study or do work on the weekends. For me, its hard to fit in long rides during the week unless I'm commuting, which you said you can't do. I agree its about priorities. When I was gearing up for my first metric I felt like I really needed to be putting more miles in, so I set a lot of other things aside (house projects, house cleaning, cooking) and rode as much as I wanted to. I once had a boss who said to me "You are only one person, and you can only do as much as one person can do." Its like the people who say they just don't have time to excercise, I say, I just don't have time to watch TV! :)